"This just in. Hezbollah claims the 911 Atrocities were likely 'invented'."
Posted on 12/14/2002 7:15:55 PM PST by Int
Daily Update
posted 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT, December 13
By Tom Regan |csmonitor.com
Hezbollah story likely 'invented'
The furor over the importance that a media article that allegedly contained "invented" remarks from a Hezbollah leader, and the role it played in Canada's decision to ban the Lebanese group, continued to grow on Thursday.
On Wednesday Canada outlawed both the military and social wings of Hezbollah. As the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reports, "it was an abrupt about-face for the foreign affairs minister, Bill Graham, who has argued the social arm of the organization is a legitimate charity."
Apparently one of the key factors in Mr. Graham's decision to add the group to the list of terrorist organizations banned by Ottawa was a US media report quoting Hezbollah's leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, urging Palestinians to expand their suicide bombings worldwide. The US story had been widely covered in the Canadian media.
Only one problem. It now seems the Sheik never made the remarks. On its Wednesday night (Dec. 11) national TV news broadcast, the CBC alleged "pro-Israeli" freelance reporter Paul Martin "likely invented the remarks."
There is no record of such a speech here, and there would be. It was not broadcast on Hezbollah's television station, as was reported. Hezbollah, which vigorously publicizes Nasrallah's every word, says the remarks were never uttered and the Canadian embassy in Beirut has tried and failed to document the quotes. The story originated not in the Middle East but in London, with this man. Paul Martin freelances for "The Washington Times," a right wing newspaper owned by the Unification Church. He cannot back up the quotes his story attributes to Nasrallah.
And the CBC says it's not the first time something like this has happened with Martin.
Earlier this year, the paper (the Times) ran a report by a reporter named Sayed Anwar accusing Palestinian Muslims of raping, executing and extorting Christians in Bethlehem. When the story was questioned, Sayed Anwar turned out to be a fictitious name. A composite for Paul Martin and two of his researchers. Martin refused to discuss that incident on camera.
The Globe and Mail reports Friday that the Washington Times says the comments did not, in fact, come from Sheik Nasrallah but from a "US professor and it was investigating whether they were accurate." The Toronto Star quotes Martin as admitting the source was a Florida State University associate professor, Walid Phares.
On Thursday, Canadian government officials gave conflicting accounts of how much Martin's stories played a role in the Canadian decision. Solicitor-General Wayne Easter said the reported comments played no role, while Graham said they had been a factor but not a big one.
Canadian Arab groups say the ban came because of pressure from the US and the threat of a lawsuit by Canadian Jewish groups. Jewish groups, however, said the ban was long overdue.
For its part, Hezbollah insists Canada was "duped" into putting its social arm on the list, and says Canada will "regret" its decision.
"This just in. Hezbollah claims the 911 Atrocities were likely 'invented'."
No. It's a problem when you're sloppy with the facts and don't marshall them properly to back up your point.
When did they start putting US Coast Guard logos on their boats?
Well, that sure sounds like a threat, although no source is listed for it...
Yeah, sure.
***THE STAR.com - THE TORONTO STAR (CANADIAN PRESS): Ottawa. "CANADA ALLOWS IMPORT OF BOMB BOOK" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The federal government has approved the importation of a book that gives detailed instructions for making bombs and blowing up bridges, the Ottawa Citizen reported yesterday. Even the author of The Anarchist Cookbook has renounced it as "misguided and potentially dangerous." But the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency says there is nothing to prevent its sale in Canada because it violates neither the hate law nor obscenity law, the newspaper reported.") (121502)
SEATTLE PI.com - SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER (AP): "MOTHER OF TEENAGE SNIPER SUSPECT BACK IN JAMAICA" (ARTICLE NOTE: The "teenage sniper suspect" is identified as 17-year-old Lee Boyd Malvo.) (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Authorities have linked her son and 41-year-old John Allen Muhammad to 19 shootings, including 13 deaths, in Maryland, Virginia, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Washington. The two were arrested at a rest stop in Maryland in Oct. 24. Both are charged with capital murder.") (121402)
***FBI.gov: SEEKING INFORMATION: "AMER EL-MAATI" akas "Amro Badr Eldin Abou El-Maati, Amro Badr Abouelmaati" (SEEKING INFROMATION POSTER SNIPPET: "Amer El-Maati is being sought in connection with possible terrorist threats in the United States."..."SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ARMED AND DANGEROUS")
***FBI.gov: MOST WANTED TERRORISTS: "IMAD FAYEZ MUGNIYAH" aka "Hajj" (WANTED POSTER SNIPPETS: "Mugniyah is the alleged head of the security apparatus for the terrorist organization, Lebanese Hizballah."..."The Rewards For Justice Program, United States Department of State, is offering a reward of up to $25 million for information leading directly to the apprehension and/or conviction of Imad Fayez Mugniyah."..."SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ARMED AND DANGEROUS")
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